Freedom is important, so is responsibility. In countries like India, the media have a responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and help the people fight poverty and other social evils. Freedom of the press and journalistic ethics is an important topic today in India — with the word ‘press' encompassing the electronic media also. There should be a serious discussion on the topic. That discussion should include...

The Supreme Court today pulled up a lower court judge for interfering with an order it had passed and warned of weeding out corrupt judges in a sweeping lash that didn’t spare even lawyers. The court said a section of the subordinate judiciary was passing orders on “extraneous” grounds and should be thrown out for bringing a bad name to the whole institution. The withering rap comes at a time allegations of...

Let the offenders know that the gallows await them: Supreme Court directive to trial and High Courts It is time to stamp out these barbaric, feudal practices which are a slur on our nation There is nothing ‘honourable' in such killings, says Justice Markandey katju To stamp out the barbaric and feudal practice of ‘honour killings,' the Supreme Court on Monday directed the trial/High Courts to award the death sentence to the convicted...

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that government doctors defying the ban on private practice and charging consultation fee from patients in a clinic during spare time could neither be accused of indulging in trade nor be booked under the anti-corruption law. A bench comprising Justices Markandey katju and Gyan Sudha Misra quashed the FIR lodged against two Punjab government doctors, who were charging Rs 100 per patient in an evening...

Three pronouncements made on three consecutive days this month by the Supreme Court of India have brought relief to different groups of economically and socially deprived people. The beneficiaries include children sold out by poor parents to work in circuses as child labour; young men and women determined to get married crossing caste barriers and harassed for that very reason by ‘khap panchayats'; and the hungry poor across the country...